Anxiety, stress and depression during a woman's pregnancy may lead to a higher risk of asthma for her child

According to the July 2011 issue of American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), anxiety, stress and depression during a woman’s pregnancy may lead to a higher risk of asthma for a woman’s child. The population study at Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health focused exclusively on inner city African-American and Latino mothers before, during pregnancy and after birth.

So while this study may simply confirm what we already know, it is frustrating we still don’t know what to do next. In other words if there is a higher likelihood from a genetic standpoint that minority women and/or their children may develop asthma; a higher likelihood that due to their socio-economic status, minority background and/or single mother status their children will develop asthma, it’s clear there isn’t going to be any easy fix for this issue. Additionally, due to socio-economic constraints many women in these populations are less likely to be able to pursue a comprehensive avenue of care for themselves and their children, so that complicates the issue even more.

While most know already that minority populations have higher incidence rates of asthma, including low-income, inner city minority individuals, it is still not clear exactly how medical health professionals can work with pregnant women to prevent these higher rates of pediatric asthma since this research seems to suggest the future child’s asthma might be pre-determined during a woman’s pregnancy, “during the prenatal period.”

Other research about why people develop asthma seems to indicate it is a combination between environment, lifestyle choices and genetics. This research may suggest the pregnancy environment may play a larger role in pediatric asthma than we previously thought. While the study doesn’t specify this, it is likely the majority of these women were not smokers or living with smokers, but it does not explicitly say this so its important not to assume.

Similar studies have already found a correlation that stress factors during pregnancy aren’t good for any woman regardless of income level, marital status, or cultural or ethnic background, but it seems that this study just shows medical health professionals have their work cut out for them in the years and decades going forward.

The study goes on to note:

“The symptoms of pediatric asthma can range from a nagging cough that lingers for days or weeks to sudden and scary breathing emergencies,” said Dr. Rachel Miller, MD, study senior author and allergist.

The study points out that common asthma symptoms include:

• Coughing, especially at night
• Wheezing or whistling sound, especially when breathing out
• Trouble breathing or fast breathing that causes the skin around the ribs or neck to pull in tightly
• Frequent colds that settle in the chest
If your child’s symptoms keep coming back, it might be asthma. If you think your child may have asthma, see an allergist. To learn more about asthma and allergies, and find an allergist near you visit www.AllergyAndAsthmaRelief.org

My Two Cents on the new Family Smoking and Tobacco Control Act

As required by the new Family Smoking and Tobacco Control Act in the United States, the Food Drug and administration has enacted a new rule that requires graphic health warnings. The warnings combine graphic images with bolded comments like "Cigarettes Cause Cancer" to speak directly to the harmful effects of tobacco products.

It’s about time. Now I’m just wondering what other countries across the world will start to follow suit and in what order. Unfortunately many so-called “third world countries” in Africa, Asia and elsewhere may not follow suit for years, perhaps decades.

It also would be wonderful if more asthmatics and those with respiratory ailments, and caretakers of asthmatics and those with respiratory ailments would make the obvious connection between smoking, that hacking cough and their continued asthma, COPD, lung cancer and other respiratory health problems. Exposure to cigarette smoke (first hand or second hand) does not make for healthy lungs or a healthy lifestyle!

African-American children in the United States were four times more likely than white children to be hospitalized for a severe asthma attack

According to a June 30th news release, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality finds that African-American children in the United States were four times more likely than white children to be hospitalized for a severe asthma attack
in 2007.

I apologize for sounding so grumpy (writing this early in the morning) but why when is it 2011 are we still looking at 2007 numbers in a 2010 report as breaking news? We know this already and have for decades. Now let’s move to the next, obvious step, how to prevent this disparity and improve the lives of all families that must deal with asthma, including minority families.

Naturally, this information is important but I just don’t understand why there is such a lag in reporting, compiling and analyzing health information.
It’s clear there are health disparities in other countries although haven’t seen any recent academic research to compare it to this study. Will do some electronic digging.

According to the 2007 statistics, “…For every 100,000 children age 2 to 17 hospitalized for asthma attacks ….384 were black, 94 were white, and 135 were Hispanic.” One interesting fact was that Asian and Pacific Islander children were the least likely to need inpatient hospital care for asthma
I’d be interested to know how many are first generation, second-generation immigrants.

Other data from the research and hospital admittance rates found:

• Children from poor families were more than twice as likely as those from high-income families to be admitted, (231 versus 102)

• Boys had about 50 percent more hospitalizations than girls, (181 versus 119).

• Children ages 2 to 4 were over 6 times more likely than children ages 15-17 to be hospitalized, (310 versus 50).

• Children in the Northeast were more likely to be hospitalized than those in the West, (196 versus 102).

For more information:
This AHRQ News and Numbers is based on information in the 2010 National Healthcare Disparities Report, which examines the disparities in Americans' access to and quality of health care, with breakdowns by race, ethnicity, income, and education.